John henry plett



(No Model.)

J. H. FLETT..

CAR COUPLING. No. 364,237. Patented June 7, 1887.

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i L "& V A", Q I M WITNESSES NVENTOR J0 ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY FLETT, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF PART TO JOHN GOGGAN AND XVILLIAM A. HOGAN, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

. SPECIFIC'ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,237, dated June 7, 1887.

Application filed October 19, 1886, Serial No. 2t6,"50. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HENRY FLETl, of

Galveston, in the countyofGalveston and State parts that cars may be automatically coupled and uncoupled without entering thespaces between the ends of the approaching cars.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a central longitudinal sectional view of two couplers embodying my invention, the coupler upon the right being shown in its open or expanded position, while the coupler upon the left is shown as closed and in engagement with the coupling-link. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on line .00 a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a face view of a coupler,

0 and Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the coupler and its operating connections.

In the drawings, 10 represents the drawbar, and 11 the draw-head, which draw-head is formed with a concave recess, 12, in which there are pivotally mounted two couplingjaws, 13 and 14, the lowerjaw, 14, being held in place by a pivot pin or bolt, 2, while the upper one is held by a similar pin, or bolt 3.

Back of the concave recess 12 there is an [,0 auxiliary recess, 15, and still farther back there is a vertical slot, 16, which is connected with the auxiliary recess 15 by adiagonal slot,

17, the slot 16 being much wider at the bottom than at the top.

lVithin the diagonal slot 17, I mount a look ing block or dog, 18, that is formed with a rearwardly-extcnding lug, 19, which said lug is apertured to receive a lever, 20, said lever being formed with an enlarged top, 21, which extends beyond the draw-head 11.

The lower jaw, 14, is, provided with a projection, 22, and a recess, 23, back of the pivotpin 2, while just forward of the pivot-pin there is a projection, 24, and a recess, 25, the projection 24 entering a corresponding recess, 5 5 26, that is formed in thejaw 13, which jaw is also provided with a recess 25. In advance of the recesses 25 of the jaws 13 and 14 there are formed other recesses, 27, which are connected with the flaring months 28 of said jaws by a narrow passage, 29, through which passage 29 there is passed a'coupling-link, 30, which consists of heads 31, that are connected by a bar, 32. Vithin the recesses 25, I mount a block, 40. The jaw 14 is connected to the lever 20 by a chain, 41, and spring 42, and the lever 20 is in turn connected with-a properly-located inanipulating-handle, 43, by a chain, 44, said chain 44 passing through an eye, 45, this arrangement being best shown in Fig. 4.

\Vhen cars provided with my improved coupler are coupled, the parts of the coupler will occupy the position in which they are shown upon the left in Fig. 1-that is, one of 5 the balls 31 of the rod 32 will be within the recess 27 and the locking dog or block 18 will be partly within the auxiliary recess 15 of the draw-head, the lower point or toe of the locking-block entering the recess 23 of the jaw 14, the parts being held in this position through the action of the spring 42. Vhen it is desired to couple with cars similarly equipped, the coupler of one car is adjusted as just described, while the coupler of the other car is moved to the position indicated upon the right in Fig. 1, which adjustment is secured by drawing the handle 43 so as to move the chain 44 in the direction of the an r'ow shown in connection therewith in Fig. 4, 0 which movement of the chain 44 will throw the lever 20 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1, thus withdrawing the lock ing-dog 18 from engagement with the heel of the jaw 14, and, as the locking-dog is so with- 5 drawn, the lower jaw will be moved to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, and, as the lower jaw is moved, the upper jaw 'will also be carried to the position in which it is shown, The couplers of the two cars having been adjusted as described, the coupling-pin 30, upon entering between the expanded jaws of the coupler of the adjacent car, will strike against the plate 40, and so striking the plate will force the jaws to the position in which they are shown upon the left in Fig. 1, when, if the pressure upon the handle 43 be released, the lever will return to a vertical position, carrying with it the locking-dog 18, which dog will enter the recess 15 and the recess 23 in the heel of the section 14.

Cars coupled with the coupler described may be uncoupled, while in motion, from the side of the car, and, as eachjaw is provided with an aperture, 4, arranged to receive an ordinary form of coupling-pin, the said cars may be coupled up with cars that are provided with the ordinary form of pin-and-link coupling.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentr 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a slotted draw-head, of two jaws pivotally mounted therein and alever in the slot of the draw-head, and carrying a block engaging the rear ends of the jaws to hold them closed, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, ofjaws 13 and 14, mounted upon pivot pins or bolts, the jaw 14 being formed with a recess, 23, a lever, 20, mounted within a slot formed in the draw-head, a locking block or dog carried by the lever, and a leveroperating mechanism, substantially as described.

3. I11 2). car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head formed with recesses 12, 15, 16, and 17, of coupling-jaws pivotally mounted within the recess 12, said jaws being formed with recesses 25, 27, and 28, a plate, 40, mounted within the recesses 25, alocking-dog mounted in the recess 17 and arranged to enter the recess 15, and a recess formed in the heel of one of the coupling-jaws, a lever upon which the loekingqlog is mounted, and a spiral spring connected to the lower jaw and to the lever, and a lever-operating mechanism, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, thecombination, with a draw-bar and its head, formed substantially as described, of coupling-jaws pivotally mounted within the draw-head, a lever and a lockingdog carried thereby, a plate, 40, carried by the jaws, a spring, 42, connected to one of the jaws and to the lever, and a chain, 44, 0011- JOHN HENRY FLETT.

Vitnesses:

G. 0. LA SALINIERE, W. A. HOGAN. 

